Author Guidelines

Introduction / General Information

The International Journal of Health Concord (IHC) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to advancing collaborative health research, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). IHC publishes high-quality original research, systematic reviews, case reports, and brief communications across all areas of health and healthcare, including public health, clinical practice, health policy, nursing, and allied health sciences.

IHC follows a double-blind peer review process to ensure integrity and rigor. The journal operates under a Gold Open Access model, licensed under CC BY 4.0, allowing free access and reuse with proper attribution. IHC provides a platform for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to share evidence-based knowledge to inform practice, improve health outcomes, and support sustainable healthcare development globally.

Download Author Resources

Authors are strongly encouraged to use these templates to ensure compliance with the journal's formatting and structural requirements.

Submission Requirements

Language: All manuscripts must be in English with proper grammar and scientific style.
Originality & Plagiarism: Manuscripts must be original; similarity index <20% using Turnitin.
Prior Publication: Preprints acceptable if disclosed; conference abstracts must be cited.
Authorship Criteria: All authors must meet ICMJE criteria; changes require approval.
Corresponding Author: Full contact details including ORCID ID.
Conflict of Interest: Must be disclosed; if none, state “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
Funding Statement: Full disclosure of funding sources, grant numbers, and funders’ roles.
Ethical Approval: IRB approval required for human studies; animal studies follow welfare guidelines; consent & confidentiality must be preserved.
Data Availability: Provide data availability statement or justification if data cannot be shared.
Submission File Requirements: Manuscript (tables embedded/separate), high-resolution figures (TIFF, JPG, PNG), cover letter, optional supplementary materials.

Compliance with Reporting Guidelines

To ensure transparency, completeness, and reproducibility, all manuscripts submitted to IHC must follow the relevant reporting guidelines as recommended by the EQUATOR Network. Authors should indicate the guideline used and provide the completed checklist during submission. The recommended guidelines include:

  • Randomised Trials: CONSORT Extensions (link)
  • Observational Studies: STROBE Extensions (link)
  • Systematic Reviews: PRISMA Extensions (link)
  • Study Protocols: SPIRIT, PRISMA-P (link)
  • Diagnostic/Prognostic Studies: STARD, TRIPOD (STARD, TRIPOD)
  • Case Reports: CARE Extensions (link)
  • Clinical Practice Guidelines: AGREE, RIGHT (link)
  • Qualitative Research: SRQR, COREQ (SRQR)
  • Animal Pre-clinical Studies: ARRIVE (link)
  • Quality Improvement Studies: SQUIRE Extensions (link)
  • Economic Evaluations: CHEERS Extensions (link)

Failure to follow the relevant reporting guideline may delay review or result in rejection.

Article Types Accepted

  • Original Research Articles
  • Systematic Reviews, meta-analysis, and scoping review
  • Case Studies / Case Reports
  • Perspective Articles
  • Theoretical / Conceptual Papers

All submissions must demonstrate relevance to health, healthcare delivery, health systems, or health policy, particularly in LMIC settings.

Authorship Policy & Criteria

IHC follows the ICMJE authorship guidelines. To qualify as an author, all four criteria must be met:

  1. Substantial contributions to conception/design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation.
  2. Drafting or critically revising the manuscript.
  3. Final approval of the version to be published.
  4. Accountability for all aspects of the work.

Individuals who do not meet all criteria must be listed in the Acknowledgements. Ghost, gift, or honorary authorship is not permitted. Any change in authorship after submission requires written consent from all authors.

Manuscript Types & Structure

Title Page

Include title, author names, affiliations, ORCID IDs, and corresponding author email. Title should be concise and informative.

Abstract

Structured abstract up to 250 words, including: Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusion.

Keywords

3–6 keywords, recommended using MeSH terms.

Implications for Practice

Highlight practical relevance for clinicians, policymakers, and stakeholders.

Main Text – Original Research

  • Introduction: Background, research problem, objectives.
  • Methods: Study design, participants, interventions, outcome measures, ethical approvals, data/statistical analysis.
  • Results: Present findings clearly using text, tables, figures, and statistics.
  • Discussion: Interpret results, discuss strengths/limitations, and implications for research/policy/practice.
  • Relevance for Practice: Summarize practical implications for healthcare professionals and policymakers.
  • Conclusion: Concise summary without introducing new data.

Main Text – Review Article

  • Introduction: Explain scope and purpose, provide background and rationale.
  • Methods: Literature search strategy, databases, keywords, inclusion/exclusion criteria, data extraction, synthesis methods.
  • Results / Findings: Present main findings, organized thematically or methodologically; include tables/figures.
  • Discussion: Synthesize evidence, highlight trends, gaps, inconsistencies, implications for future research.
  • Relevance for Practice: Describe practical applications for clinicians, educators, or policymakers.
  • Conclusion: Summarize key messages and recommendations derived from the review.

Acknowledgements

Recognition of contributions not qualifying for authorship, funding, or institutional support.

References

Follow APA 7th edition. Use reference managers like Mendeley or EndNote.

Tables & Figures

Number consecutively, include descriptive legends, submit high-resolution files, avoid duplication.

Supplementary Material (Optional)

Include additional data, extended tables, questionnaires, or multimedia, referenced in the main text.